Posts Tagged ‘column’

By Gerri Hunter
Gravy. Just typing the word is probably enough to finish this article.
Humans swoon when they see or hear this word. This word makes even snooty people groan with pleasure.
When you purchase a nice set of china at a department store, it comes with a sugar bowl, creamer and a gravy boat.
I have always felt cheated when I look at a gravy boat. It’s too small. The word boat suggests a piece of china that can hold lots of
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By Daris Howard
It was my second Thanksgiving far from home. I was invited to dinner by a family that I dearly loved. Norma, the mother, was a wonderful lady. Though she was blind, nothing much slowed her down. She ran her home with efficiency and precision.
But there was something else that made her more amazing. She had eight children; four had mental handicaps, and the other four had physical handicaps. Each mentally challenged child was paired with a physically challenged child.
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A Relative Disaster
By Daris Howard
The church bulletin carried a notice for a genealogy class that was going to be offered in our local community. A friend of mine joked that I ought to take it to help me find out why I’m so nutty.
“Maybe you will learn that you have had squirrels in your family tree.”
“Very funny,” I replied.
But I must admit that the thought intrigued me. I have some old aunts that work on this kind of thing all of the time. They can tell me who my
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By Daris Howard
I was 19 years old, living in New York, and a long way from home. It was Thanksgiving time, and I knew I would not be able to go home for Thanksgiving. Two different families. that attended the same church I did, invited me to Thanksgiving dinner. The first dinner was to be at about noon, and the second would be around 7:00 in the evening. Being young, and having a big appetite, I figured I would be fine accepting both. On that morning, I ate a light breakfast so I could
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By Daris Howard
It was summer graduation day at the university where I work and a beautiful day it was, unlike the first graduation I attended as a young professor. That one was in April and the cold south wind had swirled the snow around us.
On that day, as we watched the students file past, one of my more seasoned colleagues, who was also my mentor, turned to me and said, “Graduation will be one of the happiest and one of the saddest times of your life.”
When I asked him why it was
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By Daris Howard
I had been grading papers all day, and I was exhausted. As the work day ended and I left my office, it felt good to step out into the fresh air. I decided to take a longer route to the parking lot to see if I could clear the cobwebs from my head.
As I turned the last corner, about 100 yards from where I was parked, I joined a couple of young men who were coming from the lower part of campus. Their clothes were rough and their appearance unkempt. They looked
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By: Jill Pertler
I come from a generation where an application was something you filled out when you wanted a job. TV (all five channels of it) was in 2D. Phones were unitaskers and could hardly be described as smart.
Times have changed. At least they are changing at my house.
This week, we got our first smartphone – which, by logical inference, makes us a “smartfamily.” Or, since the phone belongs to my husband, maybe he’s the smart one. We’re not sure, because
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By
Daris Howard
I had recently arrived in New York and met the group of young men I was going to be working with. I had heard that they often played tricks on the new arrivals, so I was wary.
We had a regional meeting coming up, and the more experienced young men gathered around to give me some advice.
John, the one that I would be working most closely with, started off. “When we go to the conference, there is a young lady that will be there that you definitely must meet. Look at the
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By Daris Howard
I was practicing the 100 meter hurdles when a young man came running up to me. “Coach wants you in his office immediately! ”
I hurried in, and found three other young men already there. Coach frowned as I entered. “Kinda slow, Howard. ”
“Sorry, Sir, ” I replied. “I was at the track. ”
Coach turned so he could face all four of us. “You are to report to the journalism room. ”
“Should we change first? ” I asked.
“No, and there’s no time for that
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Slices of Life
By: Jill Pertler
The title of this column may lead you to believe I entertain a lofty perception of my house – as in my house rules the universe. While that may be true (but not really), the “rules” cited in the title refer to a noun, not a verb.
Rules: Directives involving the correct time to go to bed, the necessity of frequent tooth brushing and the value of vegetables. In other words, the things every kid detests.
I penned the following tidbits of wisdom during
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